The Life He Leads
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: Season 2 to present-Jack returns to the family homestead. As a gambling man, he's betting on Sharon welcoming him with open arms.
1. Chapter 1

"Home Sweet Home," Jack muttered to himself as he stood in the elevator, watching the numbers rise. 8, 9, 10, 11. Yes, he was home, whatever that was. 'Home is Where the Heart is', right? Well, his heart was probably all over the place, a lot of it in Vegas, but he could easily say that now in his life, no one person had his heart. Being down and out on his luck for the moment, his heart had found its way back home, sort of. Here he was, Condo 1109, his home, even though it technically never was his home. It was Sharon's home, though, and technically-since he was dealing in technicalities tonight, even though legally separated, he was still married to her; thus, his home was with her. So, by default, he had concluded, he was home. 'Home is Where the Heart is'…well, his heart used to be with Sharon, long long ago, and even though things hadn't gone as planned, he was still married. Now, for a place to stay, since his wife had a home…

The key still worked, as Jack grinned to himself. Good old, gullible Sharon, she hadn't changed the locks. Years and years of coming and going, and she'd left the locks alone. To Jack, that was confirmation she still wanted him, still needed him at home, however brief it was. If Sharon really wanted Jack out of her life, she would have changed the locks. Quite frankly, she never would have given him a key, or really, because let's be honest, she never *gave* him a key, but if she hadn't wanted Jack to have access to her condo, she wouldn't have left a key in plain sight on one of the many occasions he'd visited the homestead. But, she knew he had a key, she hadn't taken his key, she hadn't complained, and she hadn't changed the locks. All of them were signs to Jack that, after almost 30 years, Sharon still wanted him, her husband, in her life.

He entered the condo and found it just as it always was, spotless, neat, orderly, all Sharon. His life, now that was a different story. He couldn't remember the last time he could describe himself, or anywhere he'd lived as spotless, neat, and orderly. Quite frankly, maybe that was why Sharon couldn't detach herself from him. She was such a rule follower; she enjoyed the bad boy side Jack offered-so he told himself, the tarnished, messy, chaotic man Jack was. He closed the door and moved some of his groceries to the kitchen. Jack wasn't a total mooch; he could at least make an attempt to grocery shop. Truth was, some of it was the stuff only he liked. Gluten free, for one, and Sharon didn't eat like that. Also, his charm to win over Sharon always included making her breakfast and on occasion, dinner. Who could help it if that dinner ever might turn romantic? Just part of his charm, right? He had Sharon's number and knew what worked, what always worked. He dropped the groceries on the counter, knowing that he may be hungry later and went back for his luggage. He'd always stored that in the guest room-Sharon didn't let him into her closet, no, that was her space-ironic as it might be-he couldn't use her closet, but he could use her- but he headed toward the guest room, where sometimes, he ended up staying there too. Sometimes. Other times, well, he'd always managed to charm Sharon, worm his way back in even if she had the two-night rule about staying. Two nights, that was all it took, if even that long. She was always glad to see him, even if she acted irritated initially. For the incredibly smart woman she was, she never seemed to catch on that he was using her. He was using her for whatever he needed, sometimes money, sometimes, well, just her, and once he got whatever it was, he disappeared again. Her door was closed; he'd surprise her soon. First, he needed to take care of a few things. He'd been traveling all day, and he wanted to get settled. Sure, he hadn't been to the condo in a few years now-how long had it been? He couldn't remember, but it had been awhile. He'd last heard she had changed jobs, probably for the better. What guy wants his wife as head of the rat squad? She'd been head of FID for far too long; it was embarrassing quite frankly, and whatever she was doing now, it had to be better than that. So long FID. That might make her likeable and more relaxed. She'd become pretty hard, pretty cold since she'd been running FID. Maybe, just maybe, this trip, he'd get more out of her than he needed, in all areas of his life.

Jack made his way down the hall to drop off his stuff so he could get a shower. Yes, a hot shower and then he'd find Sharon. Well, he knew where Sharon was, but he didn't want to see her until he'd cleaned up a bit. If he was here to surprise his wife for the first time in years, he'd at least try to be presentable. Locked. The door was locked. Was he drunk? Was he just having difficulty opening the door? No, he wasn't, at least not yet. Now, later, he might need a drink, depending on how things went with Sharon, but for now, the door was definitely locked. He was sober, and he couldn't get in. Fine. He'd put up his groceries and find his clothing from the couch. He could use the couch as his base of operations for the time being. He'd get Sharon to open the door tomorrow. Must have just locked from the inside, and he knew Sharon liked keeping the room doors closed. Easy fix, tomorrow. Tonight, he had things to do and people, well one person, to see.

The phone. Oh, where was that phone? Yes, he knew there had to still be on in the kitchen. Sharon always kept a phone in the kitchen, had since they married in their early 20's. Who would be calling in the middle of the night now? Certainly, not a gentleman caller, no that was more his style, to call someone or have a lovely lady call him. That idea with Sharon, downright laughable. He was her middle of the night person. Work? Must be work.

"Raydor residence," he answered, and as he listened to an ancient Louie Provenza, he rolled his eyes, thinking that guy should have retired decades ago. He couldn't even remember exactly what he said to grumpy Provenza, only that he wanted to clarify that he, as Sharon's husband, was home. Home to stake his claim. He remembered saying that Sharon was asleep, and he'd leave it at that. Any inferences to her husband now being up in the middle of the night, well, they were married after all.

What took him by surprise was the surprise attack that had him staring down the barrel of Sharon's gun. He didn't see that coming, no way. He should have known she'd get up at the sound of the phone. He had to hand it to her; she was fast, and man, she still looked good. Gun aimed at him, ready to shoot, even in her nightgown. Whatever she was wearing, well, she looked good, and it had been a long time since he'd seen her. Listening to her on the phone with the dinosaur Provenza, he saw just how in charge she still acted. Bossy, confident, both qualities he loved and loathed in her. Giving orders, well, she'd become the expert on that dealing with him, one of the things he despised about her. She saw him as just another person to boss around, something he was hoping she'd loosened up on now that she was't running FID. What exactly was she doing that she was with Provenza? Robbery/Homicide? Seriously, he should pay better attention, but what did it really matter? She ran a division, and she caught murders, apparently.

The phone call ended; time to turn on the charm. Surrpise, surprise, she's maybe happy to see him? He not sure yet. It's late, and he really want to figure out the arrangements for the night. Whoa, who is the kid? Now, the door makes sense. This kid, who let's face it was using a lamp as a weapon-where did he come from? This kid was not in his plan, but let's face it; there are two grown children with the last name Raydor who weren't exactly in the plans either. This kid, though, here tonight, puts a damper on anything he had planned. An obstacle, but one he knew he could easily manage. He has dealt with his share of obstacles surrounding Sharon before.

The couch, really? How has he been suddenly banished to the couch? 30 minutes ago, honestly, 15 minutes ago, he thought he would have his choice of beds in this place, and somehow, even with two beds, he's been cast out to the couch. NOT in the cards; not the kind of gamble he wanted to take. In this gamble, the house won, literally. Sharon won; he'd have to give her that. No other option tonight. Her door is locked, as the guest room door, where apparently, the kid, Rusty, is staying, The couch-it's almost laughable. Well, he has slept in worse places, and it's only for half a night. Tomorrow, he tells himself that he'll turn the tables and reclaim a bed, one in particular he's got his eye on for sure. He's thinking that after Sharon leaves for work, he will even take a little catnap on her bed and poke around. Surely, he can find some extra cash, maybe even something to pawn. After all, they are married. Home Sweet Home; he's back, and as a betting man, he's betting on a good visit.


	2. Chapter 2

She certainly was in a hurry this morning, he noticed. He was hoping for some time to talk to her, but he'd figure that out soon enough. She threw the two-day thing in his face again, as she had last night, but he figured he could easily manipulate her into more. He was going to start by dropping in on her at work, really in an effort to see where she worked and with whom. He knew she was at least working with that idiot, Grumpy Provenza. He reminded Jack of one of the Seven Dwarfs. Maybe Sharon's whole team could fit that profile; he'd scope them out today. As Jack was a betting man, he figured he might know or at least heard of, some of the people on his wife's team. He might not have lived in LA for a long time, but long ago, he knew his way around town as well as all the people in this town. Police officers, well, if he didn't drink with them, he'd probably had to depose them for court or recount their testimony. He knew he was a likeable guy, much more so than his wife. Now, she was hated. Who running FID wouldn't have been hated? She'd brought that on herself, though, taking that job years and years ago. No, today, it was time to scope out the new job and find out just how well his wife was doing without him. He was serious about staking his claim, even if he was only in town for a short time, and his first stop was his wife's work, where he was sure to be greeted by a room full of alpha males.

The team. Hmm, not sure he met all of them, but a strange bunch. They seem to work well with Sharon, as well as can be expected when they have to work with someone as cold as she is. Efficient and detailed, that is how he might describe their office. He only talked to a few; he saw other desks occupied, so there must be more of them. They are on a case; some must have been out following up on a lead. He'd be back; he needed to come back and get the full scope of the team.

The kid, Rusty. He wasn't so bad. He'd have to get the story on the kid, why he was suddenly the object of his wife's affection. He knew that look; she cared about the kid like she cared about their own kids. Good thing that she at least cared about their kids; he was too busy with life. Gambling, drinking, ladies-it was quite the life, and what was perfect in his setup is that when he needed a break from it, or money too, he could just come home because Sharon was always waiting. This kid, though, now, he'd thrown plans into a bit of a tailspin. Obviously, the way to get to Sharon, to charm her, was through this kid. Jack wasn't stupid; he could tell that if he wanted anything from Sharon, and oh, he did want and need a few things, he had to go through the kid. He could do that. He could play the beloved father figure to this kid for as long as it took to crack Sharon.

The first part of his plan to win back Sharon was to show how responsible he could be with the kid. So, by the time Sharon got home from work, late that night, he'd made dinner and was spending time with Rusty. Sure, why not spend time with him? Rusty was a funny kid, and he was playing right into Jack's hands, literally, his hand-as in his deck of cards. Teaching Rusty to play poker was actually fun, and it helped that it was Jack's favorite card game. It did make him realize just how gullible Rusty was, though, as he put those sunglasses on and never saw through Jack's cheating schemes. Leave it to Sharon to give away his secret. Oh, he was hopeful when she came home. Since when, though, did she come home well past the dinner hour? 10:00 PM? That was late. Was it the case, or was she avoiding him? He knew she wasn't going out anywhere with anyone else; that wasn't Sharon, so she was either tied to a case or tied to her desk. He'd work on her again.

He tried to crack Sharon after Rusty went to bed. He thought he was successful too because he got her to laugh. He got her to break down that wall, and he saw his chance, his chance at a better night's sleep, and well, maybe more. She bought the whole 'back is killing' routine, or so he thought. He was a couple steps away from kissing his way back into her life, and she blocked it; she wasn't letting down her guard. So, he conceded and would try again. He had gotten her to agree to letting him pickup Rusty, so he figured he only needed one more day to prove that he could be a responsible human with kids. One more day, and he's break down her walls again.

He saw his chance when he picked up Rusty. He couldn't believe Sharon had Rusty at the same Catholic school she'd made their kids go to. Jack hadn't cared about where the kids went to school. He knew it was expensive, not that he paid for it. Putting Rusty there showed Jack just how invested Sharon was in him. He knew Sharon, and while she might be a foster parent on paper, she was already more to Rusty in her heart. Rusty was the key. He saw his opportunity as he drove Rusty over to the office. Sharon was still working that case, so he decided to get food for everyone. His good deed went unnoticed, well, Sharon saw it, but she had never liked junk food. He was hoping to win over her team; if they saw him as a fun guy, Sharon would too. She might just forget all the bad things and remember the good. He needed her to remember the good. He had a feeling Sharon would bring up that whole two-day rule again. He had to find some way around it. He had nowhere else to go. His lady friends were in Vegas, and he couldn't go back there right now, not when he had a job, or the prospect of a job. He needed cash, and Sharon wasn't handing it out at the moment. He'd get there with her. He'd get the things he needed. Sharon, had a lot to offer, in the way of cash, a place to stay, and well, anything else was just a bonus. He had to find a way to stay.

A deal. His charm at her office had been a bust, but he'd made progress as he pretended to pack his suitcase. He knew Sharon couldn't stand the idea of sending him packing. She always caved when he mentioned going to a hotel. That's how he knew she still wanted him. This time, the stakes turned out to be high. He'd agreed to a deal, one that he couldn't believe he was desperate to take. Why did her deal involve calling the kids? He'd rather do just about anything else. He didn't want to talk to the kids because they didn't want to talk to him; they hated him. Where do you start with your own kids when you don't really know them? It was easy with Rusty; Rusty didn't know Jack, and Jack didn't know Rusty. He could start fresh with him, and obviously, Sharon hadn't told him much about Jack. Rusty was new to Jacks' antics, something Jack's own kids were not. A deal. Wow. Sharon was tough, cut through to Jack's core with the whole 'call your kids' act. He'd do it because he needed a lot from Sharon. He'd call; he'd had to do worse in his life, and he'd meet the terms of this deal, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.


	3. Chapter 3

"What's with the toothpicks?" he remembers asking her. He'd found several boxes in the cabinet, and as he questioned her, he specifically pointed out he'd never known her to use toothpicks. He now sat in the Murder Room, playing that conversation over and over in his head as he stared at a man whom he remembered always used toothpicks. Could it be a coincidence? Huh, this particular lieutenant, whom Jack didn't realize was on Sharon's team because he'd been out of the office or busy out of the office on the few occasions he'd stopped by so far, liked a good toothpick. Interesting, wasn't it that he hadn't seen this guy yet, and he'd been here a week. Coincidence? Maybe. Also, to note, this lieutenant had an interesting desk location. The rest of the team was somewhat huddled together, and he'd found a different place to huddle, right outside Sharon's door, Jack's wife's door. Andy Flynn. He and Jack had been drinking companions back in the day. They'd often run into each other at the local watering hole, sharing stories of their crappy days. From what he remembered of Andy, the guy's wife threw him out. Jack always told him he'd almost wished his wife had done the same; it would have given him more freedom. It helped that Flynn could share in the complete irritation Jack had of Sharon. Andy had tangled with her in Internal Affairs on a few occasions; they shared in a similar misery, arguing with Sharon. Always with a toothpick, that guy. Flynn always had a toothpick, which was partly why as he sat here now, watching Flynn work, he wondered what was happening in his life. They hadn't swapped stories at any bar for years. No ring; clearly, the guy was still single, but was he enjoying the ladies as much as Jack was in Vegas? Times had changed, but had Flynn? Flynn stopped coming to the watering hole, and last Jack had heard, he was sober. Well, good for him-yeah right. Being sober wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Sure, Flynn looked like he had a grip on himself now, but the guy had to be miserable desiring a drink and not partaking. What was the deal? Did the toothpicks in Sharon's condo have any connection to the lieutenant basically on guard outside her office door? He wasn't sure, but he'd file that in the back of his mind to examine later.

Jack had been here a couple weeks now. Sharon had kept the deal, of course, once she verified he had actually spoken to Ricky and Emily, as if he'd lie about that. Yeah, right. So, he was in like Flynn…wait, wrong Flynn, which brought him back to Flynn sitting in front of him. Sharon wouldn't be hanging out with this guy, would she? Maybe he'd have to investigate. Ask Rusty, but that kid seemed to have his own problems right now. Besides, he knew Rusty was protective of Sharon; he could see it. Rusty would be his last option. No, for now, he'd watch and wait. He had to admit, the team seemed to like their boss. He didn't know how that had happened. Most police couldn't stand her. Honestly, a lot of the time, he couldn't even stand her, but he was here now, trying to break down those barriers. He wanted back into her life, and he was determined to win her down. It was proving to be more difficult than it had in the past. She'd changed, he could see. It might be the job; it might be Rusty; it might be the combination of the two, or it might be something else, something he couldn't put his finger on at the moment.

Romeo and Juliet. Now, if that isn't romantic, what is? He saw that as his moment, his chance. He pulled out all the stops, and he got nothing. She seemed almost irritated. Clearly, she was distracted, maybe by the case. She wasn't happy he'd talked Rusty into this; he could tell that much. He hoped the nostalgia of the evening would wear her down, get her to smile, to lean on him. It hadn't. At first, he convinced himself she didn't want any public displays of affection in front of the kids. He got that; Sharon didn't like public displays of affection at all. He'd never understood that, but it was Sharon. As the evening went on, though, he could tell by her posture she wasn't letting those walls down. He'd hope to snake an arm around her, and she maneuvered so that wasn't possible. Too much space was between them. He'd hope to take her hand in his, and she'd positioned herself out of his reach. He'd hoped that by the time he dropped off Chris and returned home, she'd be waiting for him at home-their home. She was at home, but by the time he got there, she'd already retired to bed, door locked, possibly aware of his intentions. The great Shakespeare couldn't even crack Sharon's walls.

They fought. Oh, they always could get a good fight going. Fighting at work, he knew she hated that. He didn't mind, as long as he could turn on the charm later. Problem was, the charm wasn't working anymore, at least as far as he could tell. Fighting usually got her good and mad, but they always made up in the past. Now, she seemed different, unfazed by him. He could tell she was still keeping him at bay, at a distance he didn't like. Here, they had been married almost 30 years, and he felt cast out. Of course, that was ironic because when the kids were babies, that was actually what he wanted. He wanted her to just throw him out so that she'd be the bad guy. No, she'd never done that, and he'd had to just leave. Maybe now, he could blame this on her. He was trying to repair things, work on their marriage, take interest in this kid she'd taken in, and she was the bad guy again. How dare she question his intentions. Asking why he was so interested in Rusty and hadn't been interested in their own kids, why, that was a low blow. He'd been honest in his answer, though, hoping she would soften. Telling her he was interested in Rusty because she was, he thought that would do it. It didn't, and now, he didn't know what to do.

She won. She always won. She flipped is client, a supposed witness, and by the end of it, she'd turned his witness into the murderer. She won. He lost, and he was done. He couldn't do this right now, anymore; it wasn't worth it. He needed money, a place to live, and she wasn't going to give him either. He needed out, again. He couldn't do this, stay in LA and play 'Happy Homemaker' with his wife. He couldn't. She was suffocating him; she didn't understand him. He needed to get back to his people; he needed to get back to Vegas. Vegas, the place where he could hide in the dim lights, where he could blend in from one card table to the next, a place where he could drown his sorrows in bottle after bottle, a place where he could find women who would care for him, dote on him. That place wasn't LA; it wasn't with Sharon. It was Vegas, far away from the suffocation of his wife, the suffocation of responsibility and a life he'd left long ago.

Dear Sharon…the letter. She needed to hear. She needed to know that he'd tried. He'd tried to be a better husband, a better lawyer, a better father. He hadn't failed because of himself; no, he'd tried. He'd done what she'd asked. He'd called the kids; he'd helped with Rusty; he'd started to work again, and he'd looked at apartments, even if that part, he had no intention of actually moving to one. Sharon had been the cause of this. She wasn't interested in seeing he was trying to better himself. No, she'd changed, and she had shut him out. How was he supposed to get back into her good graces if she refused to see it? The letter. He'd explained all that in the letter, that, while he was willing, his wife was not. He'd give her time, time to think. He told her he was willing, but she had to make that step. He'd be back. He'd give her time to miss him again, long for him, and he'd be back. Time could heal this wound. Time could make her want him back in her life in every way possible. He'd get her. He hadn't been able to crack her tough exterior this time, but he would. He'd be back for her, to use her again for whatever he might need.


	4. Chapter 4

**We pick back up with Jack when he reappeared in Season 3, Episode 6, "Jane Doe #38." Thanks for reading!**

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It had been almost a year since he'd seen her, which for him, was no time at all. He'd been gone longer in the past, much longer. He'd heard a little here and there regarding her life. He was right; she had called him, just like he'd predicted. It had taken a bit longer than he'd thought. Honestly, he thought she would reach out at Christmas, but she hadn't. He knew how much the holidays meant to her. Still, it didn't matter; that was in the past, and she'd called now. He'd go to her because she'd called, wanted to talk to him. He hated that he had been summoned to her office, but, well, that was Sharon. Maybe she wanted him to come there because Rusty wouldn't be lurking like he would at the condo. He had a few ideas of what she wanted. Emily was in a new production, and it was starting soon. He knew that because he'd talked to the kids somewhat on and off in the past year. That had been one somewhat good thing about his drop in last year with Sharon. He hoped today was another good result of it; the letter he'd left her, he'd told her he would be waiting, and apparently, she was ready to move forward. Forward. Emily. Maybe that was why he'd been summoned. Maybe Sharon was going to suggest that they take a trip together to see their daughter dance in New York. Professional dancer. She'd made it. Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her dance. Certainly, it wasn't in New York. No, and he hadn't gone to see her in college. It was too much of a drive from Vegas, and well, Emily had never told him when she had performances. Yes, it must be about Emily. Nothing out of the ordinary was going on with Ricky at the moment, so, yes, Sharon must want to discuss Emily. He was almost giddy at the idea of a trip to New York with Sharon. Romantic? Well, that would be the intended outcome. Things would play out; sure, it would take time to get back into the romantic semblance he wanted, but this trip could do it.

As he rode up the elevator to her office, he could feel his emotions changing. From apprehension to now giddiness, he now couldn't wait to see Sharon. This would be good; it had to be. Who just finally picks up the phone after a year? He was sure the kids had told her he'd landed back in LA with a new firm. He'd gone back to Vegas for a few months until an old drinking buddy called up him, told him about an opening at this firm. He'd moved back to LA, securing an apartment for himself, and he was now working again. Success. He was on the road to it. Sharon was his first stop, and she wasn't going to just be a stop. This whole meet and greet to which he'd been summoned, it was the first step toward a new beginning, a new rebuild. He'd gambled, and he was going to win. He'd put the cards on the table for Sharon in the form of his last letter, knowing she took forever to process things, but he knew that eventually, she'd come back to him; she'd contact him, admit her mistakes, and they could move forward together. Yes, this was going to be a great day.

He was almost to the Murder Room, so he slowed his stride. He didn't want to appear too anxious, even though he was. A year. He almost couldn't believe it had been that long. It kept swirling through his head. From the kids, he knew Rusty was still around, but he also knew the kid hadn't graduated from high school yet. Soon, the kids had said. Rusty was behind in school due to the years on the street, but he was graduating soon. Jack knew that Sharon had to be excited about that, and come to think of it, that might now play into this latest call. Maybe it was just as much about going to see Emily as it was about Rusty finally graduating. He'd be 18 by now, ready to move on. Maybe that was part of it too. Maybe now with Rusty getting ready to move on from Sharon's care, Sharon was reevaluating life and ready to let Jack back in. Yes, that made sense too. Oh, he was almost ready to jump out of his skin. Rusty was going to be out; Jack was going to be back in. Sharon. Condo. Life. Marriage. Things were finally looking up. His gamble with the letter last years was paying off.

Ice. He could feel the stares, and he didn't like it. Something was different with the team. Last year, they'd been excited to see him, all smiles. Now, it was different. Provenza, well, he was always a grump. Oh, a case. Maybe they were distracted by a case. Flynn. Andy Flynn. That guy, he'd heard that guy's name come up over the past year. He didn't like it, but today's summons from Sharon seemed to dissuade any of the rumors he'd heard. Yes, police and lawyers-they all knew each other. LA was a huge city, but it ran in small circles. He'd heard his wife had been spotted around town with Andy Flynn. The thought made him roll his eyes right now in the Murder Room. Knowing his wife, though, he knew she was a sucker for a charity case. Rusty in point. She'd taken him in to help and nurture him. He had a feeling she was doing the same with Andy Flynn. The rumors he'd heard, well, he couldn't believe them; it didn't sound like Sharon. She wouldn't have anything going on with Andy Flynn. For one, it was Flynn, another washed up drunk, and Jack knew how much Sharon hated the idea of another drunk. For another, his rule abiding wife wouldn't get tangled up with any subordinate. Never. She wouldn't do that. Finally, he and Sharon were still married. Now, that hadn't stopped him from finding companionship over the years, but he didn't have the same ties to the church Sharon did. No way she'd be spending time with anyone even if they'd been legally separated for decades now. Back to the greeting he was feeling, or lack thereof, Andy Flynn was staring at him. He appeared to be on the phone, but Jack's entrance had pulled him from that. He could feel the stare; he could feel the eyes boring into him. What was up with Andy Flynn? They used to be friends, but obviously, something had changed. Something was different. He could play this game; he could fire back. "Finally working," he uttered, making sure Andy Flynn wasn't going to get the upper hand on him. He'd deal with him later. After he got the good news from Sharon, he'd make sure to announce it right in front of Flynn's desk. That desk, he still had residence right outside his wife's door, almost like her keeper. Well, once Sharon welcomed Jack with open arms, he'd make sure to announce that good news right in Andy Flynn's face.

"Hello, Jack," why was that so hard? She'd been cold, not the warm reception he'd expected, the greeting he'd tried to give her. She couldn't even utter a proper greeting to him. Suddenly, he didn't want to go in the office. Something was off, and unfortunately, he was betting that this wasn't going to be good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews! I know this isn't one of my normal stories, but I think it's worth exploring Jack's thoughts on Sharon. He's such a great "villain" to have in our lovely show!**

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Divorce papers-is she kidding? She's bluffing. This won't happen; she'll never go through with it. In almost 30 years, she's never come close to even mentioning divorce, even when things were worse, much worse. Divorce. Laughable. Now, the other option, adopting Rusty, seriously? He smells a payout there. That will cost her. Sure, he'll let her put my name to that, but that's all she'll get from him. Now, he'll be glad to take his share of the adoption, all in cash, please, Sharon. Adoption or divorce. Wow, he didn't see either of those things.

He can't believe it. Seriously. She was cold too, barely even a greeting. In fact, she jumped down his throat with all that talk of back child support. They weren't even divorced! Why would she think he would owe her anything? He's done his part, and she's not getting an adoption unless he gets a decent payout. Rusty's a nice kid, but he's not interested in playing the daddy card again. Been there, done that. He still got nagged about what he doesn't do for his two real children. Last thing he want is for her to start nagging him about a kid he didn't want to adopt, but had to. Yes, this will cost her big time.

Somehow, it's almost like the team knew he was getting bad news. The only bright spot was he didn't have to face Andy Flynn. Where was that idiot? Sharon's posted guard wasn't at his post when he left. In a way, good riddance. That guy kept giving him the evil glare. Maybe he was on a break; that guy never seemed to work. It's good and bad he didn't see him again. He didn't want any questions about his visit, but he certainly could have come up with some comments to irritate him. Come to think of it, is the rumor mill true? Has Sharon been spotted around town with that washed-up waste? Was the divorce junk really about more than Rusty? Surely not. That's not Sharon. Well, except that talk of divorce isn't Sharon either. Nothing about that encounter screamed Sharon; she's changed. Is Andy Flynn part of the reason for that change? Serves her right if he is. Total waste of time. She complains about Jack's drinking and has another alcoholic as her office guard dog? Where was Andy Flynn? Had Sharon sent him off? That would be just like her, and yes, thinking about it, that sounds like Sharon.

Rusty. Oh, running into him in the hall, couldn't have been a better setup if he'd planned it. He'd have a little chat with Rusty. Yes, he'd heard the kid was looking for some sort of job. He had just the thing. It would give him a chance to get inside information from Rusty. What was going on with Sharon? Was she dating someone? Was it a someone he'd heard rumors about around town? What did Rusty know? Rusty didn't seem to know much, or Sharon had trained him well to act clueless. And, while he was at it, Jack thought he'd let his new bundle of joy know that he was on his way to being his new dad. Surely, Sharon wouldn't mind if he spilled the beans? Yeah, she'd asked him not to say anything, but honestly, if they were going to do this stupid adoption thing together, well, he'd have a little chat about it with Rusty, his new son. What better thing to do than to offer the new son a job? Yes, this could work. He'd get a huge payout for the inconvenience of adopting Rusty. He'd get some dirt from Rusty about Sharon and all this divorce talk nonsense, and somehow, this would all play out in the end. He'd get back into Sharon's good graces and tear up the paperwork even suggesting a divorce. Yes, Rusty was once again the key to Sharon's heart; he'd go through Rusty. Now, if he irritated her along the way with the adoption talk, well, maybe that would just get the two of them talking again, settling this mess, once and for all. Adopt Rusty. Yeah, he didn't see that one coming, but it was very Sharon. She had a soft spot for those in need. He should have seen that coming. Maybe he did need to see things, coming so to speak. Maybe he'd track Sharon a little, see what she was up to lately. They were still married, so he should know what she's doing outside of work. Yes, he'd send Rusty on his way home, and he'd follow Sharon a little to get to the bottom of this mess. What was she doing after work? Was she going to run home to her precious Rusty? He'd find out. Today, he'd start watching.

He was fuming. She was hanging out with that idiot, that low-life Andy Flynn. So much for a "tough" case of some homeless girl. They were pretty chummy if he had to admit. She finally left work, with her guard at her side. They entered the parking garage, and that idiot walked her to her car. They were close, not inappropriate, but too close for Jack's liking. He watched them talk at Sharon's car before she got in and left. Of course, the posted guard was parked nearby and followed her out. Jack wasn't a detective, but he certainly noticed they both left going the same way, which was not the way back to the condo. Where were they headed? Dinner? Something else? He'd follow and see. Adoption or divorce. Now, he was getting a picture of what her mind was doing. He'd give her the adoption. She probably didn't expect that, so he'd go through with that one. This little friendship, he'd drive a stake right into it. There was no way after almost 30 years a washed up drunk like Andy Flynn was going to drive a bigger wedge between his marriage.

That adoption junk must be just that, junk. Sharon's excuse. Fine, he'd tie her up with that. He was convinced she was hiding behind this, this mess he was watching. She appeared to be dating Andy Flynn. What a coincidence, they show up to the same restaurant and their hands just fall into each other's grasp as they walk in. Laughter. Smiles. Looks. Friendly gestures. What was Sharon doing? Jack needed to put a stop to this and now. Sharon wanted a bouncing boy to add to her family-well, he'd give her that. He'd sign her adoption papers and send Andy Flynn packing. It made him sick to his stomach to watch. Nothing terrible. He'd certainly done much worse, much, much worse, with his lady friends in Vegas. This was different; this was Sharon, his Sharon. She didn't leave him. She didn't date. She didn't spend time with other men. No, she waited for Jack. She waited at home for Jack to return. She always allowed him in. She allowed him into her home, into her life, even into her bed. Except, as he sat thinking, she hadn't done that last year. When did this thing with Andy Flynn start? He sat watching this date, wondering when Andy Flynn had come onto the scene. Last year, he was convinced that he just hadn't had enough time to tear down Sharon's walls. Rusty had been there. That had changed everything at home. Was it more than that? Had this been going on longer than he'd imagined?

Sharon. Divorce. Adoption. Rusty. Flynn. Mess. Jack. 30 years. Two kids. What a mess. He had to reclaim Sharon. Flynn wasn't going to get her. If it took adding Rusty to his dysfunctional family, fine. He'd give her that. He'd call her tomorrow with the good news. He'd call the kids to clue them in too, find out what dirt they had on their mom. Had they heard Flynn's name mentioned before? He'd do that, call his kids. Sharon always wanted him to call the kids, right? Tonight, he needed a drink. Who wouldn't after sitting here watching Flynn sit a bit too closely to his wife, talking, laughing, holding her hand. Too much. Yes, he needed a drink.


	6. Chapter 6

She had him served. He couldn't believe it. 24 hours ago, he was giddy with excitement, thinking Sharon was calling him to her office to discuss their future. She'd called him there alright, for that exact topic, except, her ideas for their future were vastly different than his. She'd had him served. Yesterday, she'd offered him two options: adoption or divorce. He was not happy about either, but knowing Sharon, she'd never follow through with a divorce. Knowing Sharon, she'd opt for the adoption, keeping their family, albeit that might be a loose term, intact. She'd given him a choice. Yesterday. Yesterday, she'd given him a choice, yet today, by 9:15 in the morning, she'd taken that choice away. She'd had him served. Apparently, the idea of adoption was off the table. The divorce papers in front of him showed a change of heart, a different story. Where had it gone wrong? In 24 hours, things had spiraled out of control, and he was now in possession of divorce papers, courtesy of Sharon's longtime pal, Gavin. He hated that guy, mainly because he was a fantastic attorney, sneaky and always got what he wanted. Well, apparently, he was getting it again, serving Jack with divorce papers. What was going on?

The more he thought, he realized Rusty must have told Sharon everything. That might be coming back to bite him right now, but he certainly never, in his wildest dreams, thought that would be the tipping scale to divorce papers. 30 years of marriage, and he was left with a stack of papers now? She'd really had him served. He was still in shock as he sat down at his desk, put on his glasses, and read over the paperwork. Standard legal stuff, except that there were sections spelling out why Jack wasn't going to be hitting the jackpot, so to speak. He was a gambling man, yet, Sharon had made sure he wasn't going to gamble with her. The terms were clear; he wasn't going to get anything from her, and sadly, he knew if anyone could make that happen, it would be Gavin. Jack was a good attorney too, but Gavin was better. He knew it, and he knew that sadly, the cards were stacked against himself. While he and Sharon had dealt with their finances years ago when she filed for legal separation, he still believed that if he was truly in need, she'd help him. Now, these papers were spelling out a different story, one that cast Jack out, ended anything they had shared together, and legally gave him a reason to take off his wedding ring. Sharon, she'd changed. This was not the woman he knew. The Sharon he knew never would have gotten to this point, never had. She'd allowed him to live his life and accepted his faults. This, this changed Sharon, was calling it quits, throwing in the towel, moving on.

Jack wasn't sure how long he sat, thinking, looking, plotting. He didn't have a lot to stand on; sadly, that was true, and as he thought about Gavin over and over, he knew the guy would bury him, make him a laughingstock of the LA legal world. This was actually going to happen. She'd served him with papers, and before the year was out, he and Sharon would no longer be legally tied together. It was over, almost. 30 years. 30 years, and it was over. He'd been willing to work on it; Sharon had decided to end it.

He needed to talk to her again, one last attempt to get her over this crazy notion. He'd wait outside her condo. He'd prefer to wait inside, but he knew that would send the wrong message. He wouldn't drink before he spoke to her, that much he was sure. He'd had a few drinks the night before, but who wouldn't the day they find out their wife wants to either adopt or divorce? Yes, that was reason enough, and while he was wanting another drink now, he'd wait. He'd talk to Sharon first, and depending on that, he might need a drink, or two, or five.

He didn't think she would be home before 6:00. She never was, and the last summer, when he'd spent a couple weeks on her couch, she barely made it home before 9:00 any of those nights. After watching her little cozy dinner the night prior with Flynn, he figured she would be home around 6:30, catch dinner with Rusty, and call it a night. He was sure waiting for her at 6:00 was a safe bet. He usually did pretty well betting; he was a gambler after all.

He was surprised to find her car there when he arrived just before 6:00. She was never home this early, but they had been working a case. Maybe they'd finished early. Well, this would be better anyway. She was already home, and he wouldn't have to wait. He'd get an answer now.

"Jack?" she asked seeing him at her door. "Jack, we have nothing more to discuss. You were served. That's it."

"Sharon, can we talk about this?" he asked, still standing on her doorstep, waiting for her to move her arm out of the way and invite him in.

"We did talk, Jack," she said. "We talked yesterday, and then you took very personal information I asked you not to share and ran to Rusty. You called Ricky and Emily too, so congratulations for getting everything out in the open. When I said you were first on my list, I meant it. Now, you're also the last on my list. It starts and ends with you, Jack. Now, it's ending, all of it."

"Okay, maybe not the best way to go about it, but I'll sign the adoption papers," he offered.

She shook her head, "Sorry, Jack. That deal has expired. I'm doing what I should have done long ago, really what I should have done all along."

"Is there a problem here?" they both heard, and at the sound of his voice, Jack rolled his eyes, still looking at Sharon. He knew that voice, and by the looks of her expression, she wasn't surprised to see that voice in her hallway. That expression on her, it was one he hadn't seen in years, decades.

"Flynn, why are you always lurking around my wife?" he asked. "You setup camp outside her office, and now, you're the newest condo resident? Is that it? Do you have a condo here, too, Flynn? Because I know that there's no way Sharon would be hanging out with the likes of you."

"Jack, we are done talking," she said. "You were served. Sign, don't sign. I don't care. Gavin is handling it, and it will be over and done soon enough. I'm not invested in this anymore. As far as Andy, be civil. He's a friend. I'm allowed to have friends, not that you'd know any of mine. You'd have to be here to know any of my friends. Andy, please come in. Jack, please leave."

"Sharon, this can't be over. The kids, the kids were shocked," he said.

"Yes, Jack," she nodded to him. "They were shocked. They were shocked I was FINALLY doing this now. The whole Rusty thing, yes, it's a bit of a shock to them, but I know they will adjust. It might take some time. Ricky had a lot of questions, but this," she ushered her hand between them, "this was long over, and the kids were just amazed I was finally divorcing you."

"This is because of him?" he asked, glaring at Andy, who was standing to the side, unable to enter because Jack was in the way. He had his arms crossed, looking at Jack, but otherwise, hadn't said anything.

"No Jack," Sharon took a deep breath, "this is because of me. I'm done. I'm not putting anything more into this. We're over. I will adopt Rusty, yes, because I've intended to all along, but I'll do so as a single parent on the petition, a divorced, single parent, and I'll be happy to do so."

"You've been dating Flynn, here behind my back," he said, clearly irritated. "Obviously, you're going on a date tonight."

"It's not a date, Jack. We're friends," Sharon sighed. "Friends spend time together, talk, go to the movies. Friends are here for each other."

"Funny, Jack," Andy finally spoke. "Funny, that you of all people have the nerve to question Sharon. You've been seen around LA with other women. I can only imagine your life in Vegas. Do the respectable thing right now and leave. You've caused enough heartache for her over the years. Walk away now, or I'll be glad to call this in, a domestic dispute with a stalking charge on it. She's asked you to leave; I'm asking you to leave, go."

Jack looked between the two. Cleary, they had plans. Both were in jeans, and he had to note, Sharon had on one of her nicer sweaters, one that fit her in just the right places. Flynn had on a casual shirt, a sport coat over it, and loafers. Looked like casual attire for an evening out. He glanced back at the two, both standing there in their defensive stances, arms crossed.

"Jack," Sharon shook her head and sighed.

"Jack, I've been civil, but that's about to change," Andy said. "Leave your wife, my friend, alone."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, disgusted at his attempt. Sharon, no Flynn, had derailed it. He'd swooped in and derailed Jack's plans. He glanced back, after he'd rounded the corner. Flynn had his hand on her lower back, escorting her back into the condo. Jack had come here with the intention of sitting down with his wife in the condo and talking out their 30-year marriage. Instead, he was waiting for the elevator to escort him out. Instead, another washed up drunk had his hands on his wife and was the one escorting her into the condo and apparently somewhere else for the evening. Where had things gone so wrong? Why was Jack's world crashing down now? A drink. He'd get a drink and figure it out. A drink, or two, or five tonight. He'd earned it.


	7. Chapter 7

He thought he'd get somewhere with Ricky. His boy, Ricky. They'd been talking more. Well, he'd been planting a bug in Ricky's ear, a bug to convince him that Sharon's idea of divorce and adoption was insane. It didn't take much to get Ricky on board. He loved his mom; Jack knew that. Jack also knew that if he painted a pitiful story, Ricky would come home to check on things, talk some sense into Sharon. That kid loved his mom. He wouldn't love the idea that Sharon was going off the deep end-divorce, adoption, Flynn-whatever that was going on. Ricky mentioned he'd heard Andy's name in conversation, but he knew Andy was a friend, just a friend, Sharon had told him. Jack added that to the list of things that were so unlike Sharon, so unlike the mom Ricky knew. He painted a picture. It was Jack's last attempt to keep his marriage intact, a marriage in name only now, but still. It was the only way to keep that final hold on Sharon. If Ricky didn't get through to Sharon now, no one would.

"Dad, she's happy, and this adoption is happening. Sorry, but she's set on it," Jack read his latest text message. He sighed as he put his phone down. Ricky hadn't even been able to get through to him. He picked up the phone, and he sent a message back.

"Thanks for trying. I'm still worried about her. She works too long and hangs out with the guys from work all the time," he said, trying to get any information he could from Ricky.

"I spent the last couple days with her. She had to work late with a case, and yes, that was frustrating, but she has a really important job. She's the boss, and that's always tough. I was at her office a few hours helping them with a computer issue and talked to a lot of the team. I spent most of my time with Andy Flynn-one of them had to stay with me and monitor the computer, and he got that job. He and Mom are friends, and he gave me a lot of info on her. He thinks she's doing just fine. I know you aren't a fan, but he's with her a lot, and he said she's doing well there. I wasn't so sure and questioned her myself, but after she chewed me out, I'm seeing that she is fine. Andy likes Rusty too, which surprised me from what you'd said about Rusty. Mom and I got into it about Rusty later, but we're okay now. Dad, I think Rusty is okay, and I don't think he's hustling her anymore. I spent time with him, well, she made me, but he's okay. She's done, Dad. I don't think you can do anything more, but at this point, please, please, just let her have the divorce. You know Mom, and once she's set on something, it's done. Please, for us, don't fight this now."

There it was again, that name, Andy Flynn. Jack's fists balled up and turned red from the pressure. That guy. He'd even spent time with Ricky, his son. Andy Flynn. He was spending time with his wife and now his son. Jack wanted to flatten Andy Flynn, but right now, Jack wasn't in any shape to drive. He'd had a couple of drinks, drinking the bad day away, as he read text after text coming in from Ricky.

"When do you head home?" he'd asked Ricky. "Sorry I haven't seen you on this trip. I've been busy, but we could try lunch tomorrow."

He waited for Ricky to reply; he was in no shape to call him either, and his "been busy" comment really was him busy with a bottle of alcohol the last few nights Ricky had been in town. His phone alerted him to a new text.

"Can't," Ricky replied. "I'm having lunch with Mom. She invited me to lunch. Actually, Andy invited me to lunch, a thank you for helping with the computer, and so, I'm going to lunch with Mom and Andy tomorrow. My flight leaves then at 4:00. Breakfast?"

Jack threw back another swig of the bottle after that comment. There was that name again, a name he wanted to curse, a name he was holding responsible for the demise of his marriage. Jack had tried, but every time he turned around, the name of Andy Flynn was creeping in. Flynn was like some sort of oozing liquid; he just kept appearing in every conversation, and he was never really gone. As he thought back to Ricky's text, he sighed. He was in no shape now to see Ricky early in the morning, so he just said, "Sorry, early court case."

Jack had lost. He was a betting man, and he'd lost. He was a trial attorney, and he'd lost this round. It hurt; it stung. Sharon was done with Jack. It was early August, and within a few months, they'd be divorced. He looked at his old, worn wedding ring, and he took it off. He put it on the table next to him, right beside the bottle he was consuming. Some people's whole world was in their spouse, their family. Jack's was in the bottle. Funny, the two were sitting side by side, bottle and ring. He'd taken the ring off, and as he sat there looking at it, he had a choice, a choice to pick up one and go on. He picked up the bottle and continued to drink the night away in silence.


	8. Chapter 8

He hadn't seen her in awhile, a couple months now to be exact. He knew their paths would have to cross again. It had been a rough few months. He'd had to see her in court a couple of times; the divorce was now finalized. He'd heard through the kids she had adopted Rusty, just like she had wanted to do. Good for her; she could have the kid. Sharon had another bouncing boy, and Jack, he had another bottle. It was almost Christmas, and the kids had told him they were coming home for the holidays. Home. What was that? He didn't really have one, just a depressing apartment he laid his head, or rather, fell onto his couch in a drunken stupor some nights. 60 years old and a depressing rental to show for it. He had a wife, kids, family, the life, but all of that was gone. Sharon ended all that, and she'd moved on. The kids had told him they were staying "with Mom at home" for Christmas. Well, if that wasn't depressing enough, he didn't know what was. He wanted to see the kids, even have the kids stay with him. Some of that was well, they were his kids, but a small part of him now wanted to stick it to Sharon, have the kids come to him. He'd have to hide his drinking better if he was going to invite the kids to his place. They wouldn't put up with it. Ricky saw through it best. Ricky was the one he'd have to be wary of, so maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to invite both kids to stay with him, not that they would anyways. Yes, he'd invite Emily. She didn't notice the drinking like Ricky did; Ricky was a bloodhound. Emily either didn't care as much or she just didn't see it. He could hide it from her. Sharon could have her boys at home. Boys. Two of them. Jack sighed thinking of that. She always wanted a big family, lots of kids. Jack just saw more and more things to tie him down. Now, Sharon had untied herself from him and expanded her family. Jack was out; Rusty was in. Yes, this needed to be a decent Christmas for Jack, and he'd start by inviting Emily to his pity party.

How perfect to cross paths with Sharon now. Christmas, her favorite holiday. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction to admit she looked good, happy. Doing so would be admitting she'd been unhappy while still married to him, and he refused to believe that. Where was Flynn? He really wanted to egg that guy on; he'd been hearing his name more and more coming from his kids' mouths. Last report, Emily had even let it slip that Flynn was coming over for their Christmas dinner. Jack wasn't invited to Christmas dinner, but Flynn was? Washed up drunk, that's what he was. Oh, Sharon, so gullible. She'd traded one for another. He wasn't buying the friend junk. The kids weren't saying more on that front, but he knew more had to be going on. It wasn't pure coincidence that he was hearing Flynn's name more and more in general conversation from his own adult children, both of whom lived out of LA. No, they weren't dropping Flynn's name to egg Jack on or anything, but in general conversation discussing plans with Sharon or anything to do with Sharon, it now always seemed to just roll of their tongues. So, in a way, he knew it had to be more than a friend situation because on top of Flynn's annoying name coming up constantly, Sharon seemed to be protective of Flynn. And once again, here for a case, he was dealing with Sharon, Flynn, and the whole gang.

Gang killings. Jack had been dealing with gang cases for months now. They made money, and money he needed. Sharon couldn't hide from him; yes, he was well aware of the department investigating his client, and he'd make sure to put Sharon on notice. Her department was not going to entrap his client. No, he'd talk directly to her, even if she wasn't the one in the interrogation room. That would throw her off her game just a bit. Where was Flynn? It would be even better to throw a few insults at that loser. He'd find him; this case wasn't going away yet. No, but for now, he'd throw Sharon off her game and talk to her. Talk they did, and he made sure to get into their personal lives just to ruffle her feathers a bit. "Ahhh, Shar-ron," he started, talking directly to the monitor. If he wanted to speak to her, he knew he'd have to jump through her hoops. It worked.

"Speak to Emily yourself," Sharon had told him. If he wanted Emily at his place, Sharon wanted him to invite her. He'd do that. She didn't get to hold all the cards. No, it was a way to put her on notice. He'd win Emily to his side; he'd get one of the kids to stay with him. Emily was still his little girl and still had a soft spot for him. She wouldn't notice the drinking and would want to please her dad. Emily would stay.

Sharon thought she had won that round, Jack shook his head, but he knew he would get the last word. That he did awhile later, during the case. Oh, how he loved being the one to burst the team's bubble! They thought they had their eyewitness all signed, sealed, and delivered. They hadn't banked on Ed Winslow being a rogue witness, and really no witness at all. It gave Jack a little joy to know he'd broken their theory, destroyed their case. Yeah, Flynn had gotten in his face a bit, but what was new? The guy was a hot-headed drunk, and Jack knew it. He couldn't believe Sharon was that desperate; he saw their glances and exchanges. Sharon was moving on all right. Wow, Andy Flynn. Sharon sure had a type; he just couldn't believe that after a 30 year marriage, Sharon had moved on so quickly. His victory came though through Ed Winslow. He knew that guy was a creep, but even he hadn't banked on him being the murderer. Jack was right, and the team was wrong. Finally. He didn't get one over on Sharon often, but this, this he'd consider a huge win.

He got another huge win two weeks later when Emily did show up at his place. His sweet Emily, but all she seemed concerned with was where to actually sleep. Jack should have known Emily would spend her every waking minute with Sharon and her brother, or brothers. Fine. If his family wanted to abandon him, he'd find a way to drain his sorrows, a way that was right through a bottle of his best liquor. Even after Emily said Sharon caught a case that kept her working through Christmas Eve, even then, the kids didn't come to him. No, instead, they packed up their planned party at the condo, a party apparently, Sharon was throwing for the team, and they took it to the office. As Jack sat in his empty apartment, Christmas Eve, he scrolled back through those texts with Ricky.

"Sorry, Dad. Can't make a movie with you tonight. Christmas Eve, you know. Mom was going to have a party at the house, but she caught a case. We're moving the party to the office."

Jack had replied, "Really? You know your mom doesn't like to be surprised. She might get irritated if you show up with a party for the team while they are working."

"It was Andy's idea, and he said they were almost done with the case. It's just too late to have the party at the condo. We'll be fine. Andy's going to help with it."

There it was again, Andy. Andy Flynn. Jack truly hated that guy. He was now everywhere, creeping into Sharon's life, the kids' lives, everywhere. He could barely see a client without Andy Flynn lurking about. He typed out a reply to the kids.

"What me to stop by the condo tomorrow around 4:00?" he asked.

"Don't think that would be a good idea, Dad. We're having Christmas dinner at that time. Mom's cooking. She's invited Andy over too, and of course, Rusty will be there. We can meet up with you later? Mom is going with Andy to his daughter's house for dessert, so we are free. She invited us to come, but we can get out of it," Ricky had offered.

Jack shook his head, not sure what to say. His family was gone. He grabbed a bottle and started drinking again. Emily wasn't coming home tonight. No, she'd told Jack she wanted to stay with her brothers for Christmas Eve. He wondered where his other bottle, his full bottle had gone, and as he sat here, he wondered if Emily had found his stash of alcohol. He should have hidden it better. Oh well. He was used to his kids being disappointed in him. What was new now? His life was full of disappointments, mainly people being disappointed in him. Such was life, and by now, it shouldn't surprise or shock anyone to know that Jack had disappointed people again. Well, his family had disappointed him. Merry Christmas, indeed.


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, so maybe this time he'd messed up. Maybe he'd gone a little too far. He was only trying to do the right thing, get back into Sharon's good graces, and repay her a little of what he knew he'd drained from her over the years. That plan, that idea, though, hadn't gone as he'd liked. Yeah, he'd had good intentions, and he wished that she could see that. He wished that she could see he was trying to be a better man, trying to make up for the mistakes of the past. Trouble was, he knew it was too late. He finally saw that. He saw that he'd messed up, and she wasn't going to take him back. This last time, he really messed up big. She now knew he was drinking again; that was obvious. She knew he was gambling and a lot since he'd confessed to 'winning big' as he told her. She knew. She knew he was a mess, still after all these years, a mess. The kids weren't speaking to him now, telling him to get sober. Now, she wasn't speaking either. Ironically, in all this, the only one speaking to him was Rusty, the kid he'd turned away and didn't want. Rusty, Sharon's pride and joy these last few years, Rusty was the kid who was offering him insight and advice. Go figure. An 18-year-old was telling him just how badly he'd messed up, what he'd given up.

He thought back to what Rusty had said over breakfast. Quite frankly, he couldn't remember Rusty's exact words. His hangover was a bad one, but Rusty had said something about maybe Jack had it all and lost it; he'd had the best in Sharon and his kids, and now that was gone. It was something along those lines. Everything at the moment for Jack was a bit hazy, but Rusty was right. The kid was telling him exactly what he had refused to admit to himself. He'd had a wonderful wife, amazing kids. Had. He'd lost the wife, and the kids, well, that relationship was a rocky mess. It would never be great, and any hope of it improving was slipping away, day after day. What he'd tried to get Rusty to understand was that for once, he'd won. He'd gotten a taste of how it felt to win, to come out on top, and he loved it. He finally had won, something he'd been striving to do for years. Sharon wouldn't take that money, but he could give her some of the lawsuit money. Funny, he didn't see that she wouldn't want that either, money he'd won by helping clients sue the LAPD and city, the very entity she worked so hard for over the last 30 years-she wouldn't take that either. He'd try though; he'd be the good guy, the better guy and offer it. She was always saying how he'd taken everything, so here, he'd try to offer her a small token of that mess.

Sorry. That was the only word he could say to her, to describe how he felt. Yes, he was sorry he'd shown up drunk to her condo. He was sorry he had kept a key, when he really should have given it back. He was sorry he'd been rude to her, to Rusty. He was sorry for 30 years of neglect, abandonment, everything. He was sorry. He could tell her that. It wouldn't win her back; she was gone, but he could start with that. He could start by telling her he was going to go back to rehab, back to AA. He couldn't make promises, but he could go one day at a time.

He'd watched her walk away, down the hall, back to work, and he stood there, sorry. He was sorry, but for his behavior, and as he stood there, he also realized he was a sorry excuse for a person right now. A lot had contributed to that, but there was only so much you could change in your life. He'd tried to get Sharon to see how sorry he was. He could see the sorrow in her eyes, her expression, the shaking of her head, letting him know she was sad and disappointed. He sent her a text a few minutes later as he rode the elevator downstairs.

"I am sorry, Sharon. You obviously know that AA is a one day at a time thing and people slip up. Your little pal, Andy there, I'm sure has taught you that. I hope when I'm better we can talk again. I am sorry, Sharon, sorry for this mess, and I hope you can forgive me."

Forgiveness. He felt it was a two-way street. Yes, Sharon had to forgive him for so much, but he thought she would and could do that. He had to forgive her too, for different things, for finally ending their marriage, for giving up on everything. He could and would work on forgiving her too. Maybe they could move past this when he was healthy again. Maybe. Futures weren't certain. Maybe theirs could have a happy ending. He'd lost Sharon, but he wasn't sure if she was gone forever; maybe they could be civil, even friends, even though he'd like more again. Maybe she'd give him one more chance. Maybe. She kept saying she wasn't dating Flynn, fine. Maybe there was a chance. Maybe she wasn't getting more serious about Flynn because she had hope for Jack. One thing was sure, though. The drinking had clouded things. He was going to stop. He meant it this time, and he hoped that when the fog cleared in his head, he could sit down with Sharon once again. Maybe, just maybe.

His life was a mess, that he knew. It had been good before, decades ago. It had been good with Sharon. She'd ended any hopes of that, so building a new life, a happy life, was something Jack didn't know how to do. He really wanted that life to be with Sharon, but deep in his heart, he knew it was too late. Watching her walk away, his ex-wife, he knew. He would be lucky if she forgave him. Give it time, he thought to himself. Maybe time could heal those wounds, for both himself and for Sharon. He'd get sober, get better, and maybe, just maybe, he could get back into her good graces.


	10. Chapter 10

He was surprised to see her. For once, she was on his turf, not the other way around. He wasn't exactly sure why she was here, but he smelled that she was up to something. Sharon wouldn't just pop in and watch one of his trials. Something was going on. His charm wasn't that good, and he'd heard that she was officially dating Flynn. What a shocker. He could have called that over a year ago, even as part of the demise of his marriage. Whatever. She was here, in his court today, and he had to admit he was surprised.

He couldn't show the surprise, though. He needed to play it cool. Whatever she wanted, he'd soon find out. She was direct, always had been. He'd seen her look better. The hair, it was stark and made her look void of any emotion, cold. It wasn't in its natural waves, looking sweet like she wore it often. Perhaps trouble in paradise? Perhaps her life wasn't so cheerful. Maybe it was for him. Whatever. He'd seen her look better. He didn't like her look today, but she wasn't his wife anymore. She'd made that clear.

He'd been dating around, but honestly, when hadn't he been dating around? He'd been dating for years, most recently, a young French thing, Colette. She was fun and teaching him French. Was it going anywhere? Nope. He was pretty certain of that, but she was fun now, while it lasted. Plus, in the meantime, he could irritate Sharon to no end, whenever he did speak to her, and throw in some of his newest vocabulary from Colette. Yes, he'd grown bitter towards her. It had taken awhile, but he had. He'd tried, and she'd divorced him and moved on. Even after promising to get better, which he currently was sober, she wasn't interested in even hearing from him. He'd tried. Fine. He could do bitter. He could do bitter well.

"Jack?" he heard her and turned, watching as she strolled up to him. Even with the strange hair, she was still his Sharon. She wasn't his, but he knew her, deep down, from decades ago. Some things, they never go away.

"Sharon," he'd greeted her a bit sternly, trying to find out what she wanted. She was cold, but so was he. It stung. She was dating another washed up drunk, and from what he'd heard from the kids, mainly Emily, the two were thick as thieves. Apparently, now, Flynn was even staying at the condo. Jack chuckled, thinking of all the nights he spent on the couch there. Enjoy that, Flynn. It's a hard couch. He was sure that she hadn't invited him into her bed; she was strict about that. Oh, he knew. He remembered. They had been young, but there hadn't been anyone else, just Jack. Jack knew that over the years, he'd played the field, but he didn't have a feeling Sharon had done so. No, she'd loved him to the bitter end, or so he told himself. Flynn, staying at the condo while he "recovered"-laughable. What kind of idiot jumps on a moving car? Emily had sounded worried and said the pictures were bad. Andy's face was bruised. Fine, maybe it improved it, in Jack's opinion. Oh, Sharon, using the accident as a way to move Flynn in, get closer to him. She just always had to be difficult. He was certain Flynn would go packing soon. Sharon was too cold to stay attached to for long. Flynn would find that out. After all the time he'd chased her, he'd get tired. That was part of Flynn's mantra-chase a woman and when he caught her, he toyed with her, and then he dumped her. Jack was a little more direct-sleep with them and move on, well, except for Sharon. She'd been his wife, his rock, even when he didn't want one.

He ignored her comments as he got on the elevator. Well, she could dish out trash, but so could he. He'd catch up with her later, deliver the evidence she wanted. He knew Flynn wouldn't be there, but he'd sort of hoped to see him, mess with him about the accident. He knew he'd rattled Sharon just a bit by bringing up Flynn when he got on the elevator, and her, "He's going to be just fine, thank you," comment-yeah, she didn't expect him to know all about it, know all about her personal life, but he did. Sweet Emily, she just couldn't keep things to herself. He always asked about Sharon, and Emily was willing to dish. She bought that he was actually worried about Sharon. Not anymore. Really, nowadays, he just wanted to know what she was doing in her life. Apparently, she was screwing it up even further by going down a rabbit hole with Andy Flynn. Sharon, what an idiot.

He had to admit the best payback came at the end of the case. Yes, he knew that he'd lost once again with Sharon. THAT was tough to swallow, especially with the whole team watching. Well, not quite the whole team. Flynn, Sharon's guard dog wasn't there, because of course, Jack had heard the latest, about the blood clot. Emily had called him, worried, wanting to pass along the information to Jack because she told him she thought he'd want to know. Yeah, he wanted to know all right. He wanted to know so he could use it against Sharon once again. She looked tired, rattled, and yes, he knew this case was part of it. But, knowing her like he did, he could see the worry, see the anguish, for Flynn. That idiot. She was worried about him, and if he had to be brutally honest, he could actually see she loved the guy. Wow. He knew that look, one of concerned love. She had used it with him years and years ago. He hadn't seen it recently. Most recently, she'd had looks of disgust, anguish, and disappointment, maybe even disgust. He hadn't seen that worried look of love since the start of their marriage, but he saw it now. Wow. She was in so deep she loved the washed up drunk. He almost couldn't imagine what that idiot thought of Sharon. Maybe he'd have to follow them again, like he'd done a year ago. Maybe he'd have to see just how deep these feelings went. Andy Flynn with his wife. He didn't know why he was surprised. He'd been watching things develop for a couple years now. He knew Sharon better than almost anyone. Almost. Maybe he had to admit Flynn knew her better now, but partly due to the fact Jack hadn't been around Sharon in years. Yes, he got her-bringing up the blood clot to the team. Clearly, they didn't know. It was priceless to watch everyone's reaction, and to make it even sweeter, he spilled the beans in front of Sharon's boss. Finally, a win for him, and even though he had been had by his client, fired by him, and betrayed, he took joy in this one victory. One victory over Sharon, well, it didn't happen often, but it was amazing.

Oh, he was sure he'd get an earful from the kids. He could play the victim, explaining to them how he was just expressing his concern. He couldn't help it if Sharon took it the wrong way or the team didn't know. Poor Andy Flynn. What a joke. That guy, he had no idea the mess he was getting with Sharon. Jack had seen it. He'd convinced himself for years he needed Sharon, and she needed him. Finally, he was seeing that Sharon had made things a mess for him. Well, Andy Flynn was about to get his own dose. Yes, poor Andy Flynn. Tres mal, he thought to himself. Yeah, really bad, he'd play along for the kids' sake, mainly Emily's sake, but right now, Jack Raydor had no love loss for Andy Flynn. What goes around comes around, and Andy Flynn was up next for a dose of cold-hearted Sharon Raydor.


	11. Chapter 11

**I've caught up to present day, so I'll just leave this story open for now. I'd love to see Jack reappear. I guess time will tell. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I know this wasn't the typical story, but I found it interesting to try and think like Jack. I'm not sure he's ever going to realize what he truly lost. Many like him never do.**

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Okay, so he thought about following Sharon and Flynn, but the guy actually ended up in the hospital. Go figure. From what the kids said, it was pretty serious. He left Sharon alone for that, and soon, the holidays melted away. He didn't see his kids; they didn't come home at the same time, and when they did, he just didn't have free time. They were worried about their mom, Flynn too, so they'd scheduled time to fly home around Christmas. Ricky came first, before, and Emily came after, actually in January, once her ballet wrapped for the season. Jack should have made time for them, but it didn't happen. He called them while they were in town, but to be honest, he just didn't' fee like seeing anyone. Colette, she'd been fun, but he'd moved on from her too. He actually started spending more and more time going back and forth to Vegas, so it was quite awhile before he saw Sharon again, well over a year. By this time, idiot Flynn had not had one health scare, but two. He'd heard about the heart attack too-way to go, Flynn. Sharon was such a sucker. Jack hadn't even had health issues like that, but leave it to Flynn.

He'd heard through the kids that Sharon was now playing house with Flynn. Well, that must mean she'd let him into her bed. Wow. Sharon was not the same person he remembered. He wondered how long that would last. Cozy little family with Flynn and Rusty down the hall. Sharon must be thrilled, the family she used to have, divorced, and now had again. Except this time, she'd changed out the other key players. The kids liked Andy; Jack could tell. They didn't discuss him much, but when his name came up, he could hear it in their voices; they were all one big happy freaking family. Good for them. It was awhile longer before he ran into her though, and he wasn't exactly glad about that.

It was rather surprising to see Sharon and of course, her sidekick, Flynn. He'd gotten a call from Ricky; it has been a year and a half since he'd seen Ricky last, and Ricky was coming to town. Ricky wanted to see him. Jack's son wanted to see him. They made plans to get together. When Jack asked Ricky why the sudden visit, he was met with silence.

"So, my boy, quick trip down? Why the sudden visit? Normally, you plan a month or more out," he'd asked.

"Well, I guess I need to tell you that Mom's getting married. She and Andy are engaged," Ricky had said.

"Engaged! She's marrying that loser, Flynn? You've got to be kidding me!" Jack had said, completely enraged.

"Dad, this shouldn't surprise you. They are living together. Emily and I knew this had to be on the horizon. Apparently, Mom was the only one surprised," he chuckled.

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Dad, I'm not going to discuss that. I did call to discuss annulments with you," Ricky explained.

"Annulment! I'm not doing that. Your mom and I were married, and the proof of that cannot be erased. Two offspring with my DNA and name are proof of that. It's not happening," he told Ricky.

"Dad, it's not like that. It's really for the Catholic church, remarriage issues. Dad, do the right thing. Let Mom get remarried in the church. Em and I know she wants that. This is coming from us. We haven't even discussed it with Mom. We want to surprise her with this, you need to do the right thing for once. Dad, you trashed her life for decades, and don't even try to deny it. You can't fix decades of problems, but this can be the one thing you can do right," Ricky pleaded.

"I'm not doing it," Jack said. "She can go and-" he was cut off.

"Dad, this isn't a discussion. Emily will be calling you too. We've agreed; do this, or we won't have any contact with you from now on. Decide. What's important to you? Dad, I truly hope you'll sign the paperwork I'm sending you. It's a long, lonely life if you give up your family now. Mom is getting remarried, church or not. We will be part of that family, Emily and I both. Andy is in our life, for good. He's in Mom's life. Mom has Em, Rusty, Andy, and me. You gave up your right, so sign it away with these papers. Dad, I hope to see you when I'm in LA and get the paperwork from you. Don't let us down, again," he said before finishing. "I'll be in touch."

Jack hadn't been off the phone an hour with Ricky when Emily called with an even more emotional plea. She went for the future, grandkids and all. Jack would want to see them whenever she and Ricky found that right person to marry. Begrudgingly, Jack agreed. He wanted to see his kids, his future grandkids, and he knew the kids were serious. One thing they got from Sharon was the art of negotiation, not that he was bad at it himself. He was an attorney, after all. He could argue and negotiate with the best of them too.

In the end, Jack agreed to meet Ricky, but plans had to change when he got stuck in court. It so happened that the evening when he finally finished up, he sent Ricky a text to find out that Ricky was "going to dinner with Mom, Andy, and Rusty." Jack offered to pick Ricky up and go for coffee; he knew suggesting going for drinks wasn't a hot idea, so he agreed to go for coffee. Ricky agreed, texting him the name of the restaurant. While Jack wasn't a detective, he decided to do a little investigating. He hadn't seen Sharon in a long time, over a year, now, almost two. He managed to find a seat in the restaurant, close, but far enough away to avoid Sharon seeing him. They looked like a family. She sat there, touching Flynn, holding his hand, smiling, and laughing with him. He almost lost his meal when he saw her lean over and kiss him; that he wasn't prepared to see. Those lips had been for him, but they weren't anymore. The two sat together, talking to Ricky and Rusty, what he was sure they would say was "their" family. Rusty had changed; he'd grown quite a bit. Ricky had told him Sharon was putting Rusty through UCLA. They seemed comfortable; they seemed like a family.

As Jack sat there, alone, eating his meal, he couldn't take his eyes off them. At one point, Flynn and Rusty got up to use the restroom, and he couldn't help but note how Flynn seemed to be playing the dad card, hand on Rusty's shoulder, the two talking as they walked through the restaurant. They even laughed together. He couldn't remember a time he'd done that recently, really if ever, with Ricky. His attention was drawn back to Sharon; she sat, leaning over the table, eyes sparkling, talking to Ricky. The two laughed, and as she shifted, his attention was drawn to the sparkle on her hand. The light had caught it just right, and there it sat-the ring. The ring that said she was taken; she belonged with another man. This ring, it was strange to see mainly because he was used to first seeing his ring on her hand, and then for decades, he was used to seeing nothing on her hand. It looked different than his ring. His had been small; they'd been young, but he'd had a round diamond by itself. He knew Sharon didn't like a lot of flash. This one, he couldn't make it out all the way, but it looked square, and it looked bigger than his ring. The ring, another sign she'd moved on.

He watched as the family ate their meal, noting that Sharon and Flynn kept trading plates. He and Sharon had never done that, but he also couldn't remember a time they'd been to dinner. It also annoyed him to no end that Flynn couldn't keep his hands off Sharon. What was maybe worse, was that Sharon was the same way. She had her hands constantly touching Flynn, and it reminded him that she used to do that with him, long, long ago. She hadn't touched him in decades now, but here, he was watching her with another man. He looked around the restaurant, noting the families, the couples, and then he looked at his own plate. He was alone. Life had left him alone. Suddenly, even meeting Ricky made him feel lonely. Life was lonely, and he didn't know what to do. Life had happened to him, and he was left here alone. Sharon wasn't alone, and Jack wondered just how it had all happened. They'd both made mistakes, but she wasn't alone; he was.

Jack sighed, as he finished and threw down some cash for his food. He left the building and went to his car, sending a text to Ricky to meet with him. He'd give him the annulment papers. He'd let Sharon have her precious wedding and family. She seemed to be trying to erase the past, but he never would. His future remained uncertain, but he now knew it wouldn't include Sharon.


	12. Chapter 12

I'd left this story open-ended. It has always just been "thoughts from Jack," as he realized his marriage was ending. I, like almost everyone, didn't like the show's ending/absence of characters/details left out, and I really felt like Jack should have been part of some of that. I decided to add this chapter to explore some of his emotions regarding Sharon's illness. The show mentioned the kids had gone out with him one evening (I believe Andy was heard saying that to Rusty), and this is where I decided to explore his thoughts...no, this isn't a happy, full of fun chapter, just thoughts on a woman he'd loved.

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Sharon was sick. He never saw that coming; the almost indestructible police captain was ill. It was serious; the kids had flown home to check on her. From what he'd been told, she had ended up in the hospital for almost a week with heart issues. He still couldn't believe it, both that she was sick, and that she had been in the hospital for almost a week before he'd been told. He was family; he'd been family for over three decades. The kids didn't want to argue about it. They just wanted to talk, to share, and to have their dad comfort them. He'd tried. It was hard, but he'd tried. Sharon had heart issues, and he has spent the last almost four hours talking about those issues with the kids. He had just dropped off the kids at the condo, their "home" in Los Angeles, but even that was a joke to him. Their family had a home, one Sharon sold and then bought the condo. He'd even accepted that long ago, seeing as how the kids had grown up, gone to college, and moved out of their family home. He'd spent his share of time in the condo over the last several years, not ever formally moving into it like Rusty or Flynn, but to hear the kids calling it their home-it stung.

He had just taken Emily and Ricky to dinner, and he could see the worry on their faces. Sharon's heart was weak, and it seemed to have been caused by her recent bout with the flu. Yeah, he wasn't buying that. Now, it seemed to all make sense. She was stuck on marrying that idiot Flynn, and now, he could see it. Flynn had made her heart sick. He'd done this to Sharon; it was the only explanation. Flynn had wormed his way in over the last several years, causing Sharon to make a list of bad decisions involving Jack, and that was causing her problems now. The kids said she might need a new heart; Flynn had done that to her. He'd weaseled his way into her heart, and now it was sick. Looking at it all, Jack didn't see that as a coincidence, even though medically, any doctor would argue with him that a person couldn't make someone's heart sick. He knew Flynn had done that. Sharon had never had heart issues while married to him; Flynn moved in, proposed to her, and now here she had heart issues. It didn't make sense, except to say that Flynn was not healthy for Sharon.

As he sat in the parking lot of Sharon's building and glanced up at her condo, he thought back over the years. Sharon had loved him with that heart. She'd loved him for years, even when he'd messed up over and over and over. She'd loved him and welcomed him home. Even when it was strained, she eventually caved; her heart gave into Jack, and she always came around for him, except until she didn't. That had to be it. These heart problems were affecting more than just her body; he was sure the problems were getting into her mind and had been for years. He didn't care what a physical exam said, even if it had declared her fit for duty the last few years; he was sure her heart was sick in more ways than one.

Sharon might need a transplant; she could also die. The kids cried about that, his grown children, and he fought to hold back the tears too. He had spoken to the kids about this at dinner, not realizing until then just how serious this all was. It couldn't be happening to Sharon. She was the strong one, the tough one. Her heart couldn't be weak; she couldn't be weak. It just wasn't Sharon. She didn't have health issues. He had health issues, even if he had never been upfront with Sharon about those. Even Flynn had health issues. He knew about those over the years, including the recent heart attack. Sharon didn't have heart issues. The kids had kept him updated on Sharon and Flynn for years now. She was the strong one, not Flynn, but she was now the sick one. Flynn had destroyed his body with alcohol. Jack had destroyed his body with alcohol. Both had health issues. Sharon couldn't. She ate well. She took care of herself and exercised. She did the right things. She picked up the pieces when no one else did. No, Sharon couldn't be sick, but after spending the last couple hours with the kids, he knew she was. She was seriously ill, and things might get worse before they got better, even if they ever got better.

All that made sense, but the facts showed that Sharon was sick. The kids told Jack they all needed to be strong, to be strong for Sharon. They included him in that. "Dad, you need to be strong," Ricky had told him, explaining that everyone around Sharon needed to be there for her. Jack needed to be strong. He wasn't the strong one; Sharon was. The kids needed to be strong. Sharon had always been strong for them. Flynn, Jack almost wanted to laugh at him, because the idea of him being strong was laughable, except the kids said he'd really been there for Sharon. He'd been strong, and the kids wanted Jack to be strong too, to pray for Sharon, to do anything possible to help her. In Jack's case, the kids had asked that he stay out of the way. Yes, he could be concerned and even ask about Sharon-to them-but, the kids had asked that he remain strong for Sharon. His Sharon, except she now wasn't his. She hadn't been for several years now, even if legally they had been married up until a couple years ago.

Her heart was sick. It just didn't make sense. Thinking about her work, she even was careful with that, as careful as a cop could be. She worked with other detectives who did the field work mostly. They should be the ones sick, the ones in danger, not Sharon. She'd spent most of her career behind a desk, climbing the chain of command, and here she was, a decorated police captain and sick. It just didn't add up. It just wasn't fair. She'd shot a man in cold blood, in a courtroom; she'd stopped someone's heart with that bullet, as she'd protected the lives of others. She'd kept them alive, and yet, she was now fighting for her own life.

He could see the lights on inside the condo even from the ground floor. They were all there for Sharon- Emily, Ricky, even Rusty and Flynn-Sharon's "new" family as he called them. The kids didn't like that; they were happy for their mom, and they even said they wanted the best for him in his future. Problem was, he realized now, much too late, he'd let the best go-Sharon and the kids-he'd let go, and he couldn't get them back. And, regarding his future, he was realizing that the future wasn't guaranteed. Sharon's future wasn't guaranteed. Anything and anyone could come up and challenge that future.

Someone had challenged Sharon's future; someone had changed Sharon's future. Sharon had turned to Flynn. She'd told Jack during one of their run-ins that she was in love with Flynn, Andy, as she said. She loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. It hurt to hear that because he'd believed she would spend the rest of her life with him, even waiting on him. Yeah, he wasn't surprised her heart was sick after claiming to love that one. It just didn't make sense. Sharon made room in her heart for so many, even Flynn included, and now, that heart was sick.

He couldn't lose her. He'd lost her, but he couldn't LOSE her, not forever. Sharon was the one who was supposed to outlive everyone. The way the kids were talking, Flynn had told them the doctor was giving all scenarios, and one included just that-death. The kids had said Flynn had dismissed it; Sharon would get better, and worst case, she'd get a new heart. That would be the end of it, no negotiation. Sharon didn't negotiate-at least not with him-she made the rules. It was all or nothing with her, and she would get better, end of story. Heart issues weren't even on the radar for him. He didn't think anything would bother Sharon, not after she'd been married to him so long. She'd put up with a lot from him; he knew it, and yet, she'd put up with him and survived. She could survive this too.

Ricky and Emily were worried, very worried. Flynn was worried, or so he had been told. Ricky had told him that. Rusty, apparently, was a mess, very worried about the one mom who had stuck around for him. Sharon. She had to get better. She had to get back to work. She had things to do, even if that included marrying Flynn. He would give that to Sharon to just let her be okay. He'd excuse her getting married to that idiot if she would just get through this and get back to her old self. She couldn't have heart issues; it wasn't Sharon. She didn't slow down for anyone or anything. She needed to be there for the kids, for the family. He couldn't do it alone; that was Sharon. She was the loving one, the caring one, and her sick heart had to get better for the family. He wasn't up to the task, and he couldn't lose her.

As he continued to sit in the car and look up at the condo, he thought about Flynn. He was surprised the drunk had stuck around. The kids said Flynn really loved Sharon and had been taking good care of her. Once upon a time, he had really loved Sharon. He knew he still loved her, but he didn't know if it was enough, if it had ever been enough because he'd left over and over. Sharon had always just wanted to love and be loved by that heart, that same heart that was now the central problem in her life. He'd loved that heart. Flynn now claimed to love that heart, and Sharon might need a new heart. Apparently, she'd worn hers out. If possible, she'd loved too much; she'd given too much of it, and now, it was done. He hadn't done that to her. Yes, it only made sense to him that Flynn had. Flynn was the root of the heart issue. Putting the blame on Flynn put it somewhere; it held someone accountable because in his eyes, someone had to be accountable. Anything else, a fluke illness, just wasn't possible, not for Sharon. She was the strongest woman he knew. She needed to stay that way too, strong and healthy because her family, all her family, needed her.


End file.
